defeated, and the grace which He has thus imparted to man has lifted him to a higher level than that in which he was created. And if the first edition of man, which was "of the earth, earthy" (1 Cor. xv. 47), gave joy to his Creator, how much more must He have rejoiced in the prospect of that second edition which was to be made after His own likeness, and to be the reward of "the travail of His soul" (Isa. liii. 11), although even then He knew at what a cost this work would be accomplished (1 Pet. i. 20). NOTE ON THE RELATION OF THE SON OF GOD TO THE FATHER. (Verses 22-30, John i. 1). On this subject Dr. John Brown says, "That the Son is essentially and eternally related to the Father, in some real sense, as Father and Son; but that while _distinct_ in person (for 'the Word was with God'), He is neither _posterior_ to Him in time (for 'in the beginning was the Word'), nor _inferior_ to Him in nature (for 'the Word was God'), nor _separate_ from Him in being (for 'the same was in the beginning with God'), but _One Godhead_ with the Father;" this would seem to come as near to the full testimony of Scripture on this mysterious subject as can be reached by our finite understanding, without darkening counsel with words without knowledge. _OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS._ Verse 22. "The beginning of His way" evidently means the commencement of creation, when Jehovah set out in His course of creative and consequently of providential manifestation of His eternal perfections. _When_ this was we cannot tell. We may know the age of our own world, at least according to its present constitution. But _when_ the universe was brought into being, and whether by one omnipotent _fiat,_ or at successive and widely varying periods, it is beyond our power to ascertain. One thing we know for a certainly revealed fact, that there were angelic creatures in existence previous to the reduction of our globe to order and to the creation of man upon it. These holy intelligences contemplated the six days of work of Divine wisdom and power in this part of the universe with benevolent transport. "The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." How many other creatures, and of what descriptions--how many other worlds, and how peopled, might have existed before man and his earthly residence we are unable to affirm. When men, indeed, begin to talk of its being absurd to suppose the universe so recent as to have been only coeval with our own globe, or our own system, they forget themselves. They do not speak considerately nor philosophically. There is no lapse of ages or any point of measurement in eternity. . . . Beginning is as inconsistent with the idea of eternity as termination is. Go as far back as imagination, or as numbers heaped on numbers, can carry you, there still remains the previous eternity, during which our speculative and presumptuous minds may wonder that Divine power had not been put forth.--_Wardlaw._